The first Black editor in an overwhelmingly white industry, André Leon Talley had an oversized influence in fashion, primarily as the Creative Editor for Vogue Magazine, which he left three years ago after a disagreement with editor Anna Wintour.
Talley’s influence reached beyond the runway and glossy pages: He appeared in the 2008 big-screen version of “Sex and the City,” the Vogue documentary “The September Issue,” and “Valentino: The Last Emperor,” a documentary about the designer. He was also the subject of the 2018 documentary, “The Gospel According to André.”
Kerry Washington wrote on Instagram: “Oh Andre! Heaven is not ready for you darling!!!!!! The whole afterlife is going to be just too fabulous now … You will shine so brightly from the heavens that we will know what true stardom looks like.”
Designer Diane von Furstenberg also paid tribute on Instagram, writing: “No one saw the world in a more glamorous way than you did … no one was grander and more soulful than you were.”
No details were given as to his cause of death, but he was known to have had health struggles in recent years, mostly related to his weight.